Self-acting mule and twiner.



PATENTED FEB. 2'7, 1906.

R. s. HEAP & G. GREY. SELF AGT-ING'MULE AND TWINER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1904.

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IIIIIIIIIIITIITIHIIHIIUllflllll WITNESSES ATTO R NEYS PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

R. S. HEA P & G. GREY. SELF ACTING MULE AND TWINER.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 11, 1904.

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-, INVENTORS WITNESS ES MQML ATTO R N EYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT SMITH HEAP, OF BURNLEY, AND GEORGE GREY, OE CORN- HOLME, ENGLAND.

SELF-ACTING MULE AND TWINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

T0 at whom, it may concern.

Be it known that we, ROBERT SMITH HEAP, residing at Hood House Grove, Burnley, and GEORGE GREY, residing at Knott Wood, Cornholme, in the county of Lancaster, England, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Applicable to Self-Acting Mules and Twiners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the driving motion for mules and twiners whereby the ordinary rim-bands are dispensed with, and consequently the delays caused by frequent breakages and replacing of such bands are obviated and imperfect work, due to the tightening or slackening of such bands owing to atmospheric changes and other causes, is prevented and a greater uniformity of twist, especially in spinning fine yarns, is thereby insured. All the interference to the steady winding of cops caused by the necessary tension on rim-bands is by our means entirely avoided, and in their place we get steady positive motions absolutely free om all shocks and disturbances of any kind. By gaining greater regularity and uniformity of twist we rid the yarn from all weak places, and this to such a degree that the additional strength given to the yarn makes the yarn able to stand more drag and enables the carriage to be run at a greater speed,hence increasing very materially the mule s production. The steadier motion obtained also diminishes the number of breakages in the yarns and causes great freedom from snarls. Being a positive action all driving power given to the mule is at once transformed into useful work, none being wasted in useless friction. Hence the positive motion takes much less power to drive.

The manner in which our said invention is to be performed or carried into practical eflect will be readily understood on reference to the annexed sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof.

Figure 1 on the annexed drawings is an end view, Fig. 2 an elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view, of so much of a self-acting mule as is necessary to illustrate our invention, a being part of the head-stock of the mule, and I) the driving-shaft.

For the purposes of our invention we dispense with the usual rim-bands, brackets, and pulleys for driving the tin roller and employ direct chain-drive or positive gear in place thereof in the following manner.

Instead of the usual grooved rim-wheel we key upon the driving-shaft b of the headstock a a toothed sprocket-wheel c, which (by means of a chain (Z) drives a sprocket-pinion e, keyed upon one end of a long shaftf, which is supported and revolves in adjustable brackets or bearings g, fixed to the floor or to the framework of the mule. That part of the shaft f which lies between the brackets g is made square, (or is provided with a longitudinal groove or feather or the like,) so that it can drive another sprocket-wheel h, the boss i of which can at the same time move to and fro in a longitudinal direction upon the said long shaft f. The boss 1' of this sliding sprocket-wheel h is carried by bearings k, which are fixed to the carriage-frame Z and move to and fro therewith, and the sprocketpinion thus traveling along and revolving with the long shaft 7 drives, by means of a chain, a smaller sprocket-pinion m with about one tooth less, which by means of a bevel-gear n drives the tin roller-shaft 0 on the carriage Z, which gives motion to the spindles by bands in the usual manner.

The end f X of the shaft f (on the front of the mule) is made square and provided with abox-key. Thus we are enabled to rotate the entire mechanism by hand by placing the box-key on the shaft f X and rotating it.

By this improved method of using a positive chain-drive for the tin roller-shaft instead of the usual rim-band the several advantages hereinbefore set forth are obtained.

We claimas our invention 1. In combination with the head-stock, carriage-frame and tin roller-shaft of a selfacting mule or twiner, a driving-shaft and a long shaft extending along the path of travel of the carriage, direct gearing between the driving-shaft and long shaft, and gearing connecting the tin roller-shaft and said long shaft, traveling with the carriage along said long shaft.

2. In combination with the head-stock, carriage-frame and tin roller-shaft of a selfacting mule or twiner, a driving-shaft, a gear thereon, a long shaft extending along the path of travel of the carriage, a gear on said long names to this specification in the presence of shaft and a chain between it and the drivingtwo subscribing witnesses. shaft, mechanism carried by the carriage for ROBERT SMITH HEAP operating said tin roller-shaft, said mechan- GEORGE GREY ism adapted to engage said long shaft so as to be turned thereby, and adapted to slide 1011- Witnesses: gitudinally upon said long shaft. I TOM H. HARGREAVEs,

In testimony whereof we have signed our JOHN HEAP. 

